


Cold foxholes, warm hearts

by oddegg



Series: X Company: First Platoon [1]
Category: Band of Brothers, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Crossover, M/M, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-31
Updated: 2011-08-31
Packaged: 2017-10-23 06:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/247448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddegg/pseuds/oddegg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a prompt on the <a id="cutid1" name="cutid1"></a><a href="http://1stclass-kink.livejournal.com/8359.html?thread=16539047">1stclass-kink meme.</a> Basically, this is Band of Mutants. A little slice of life in Bastogne.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold foxholes, warm hearts

“Maybe we should just order Summers to let loose.”

Nixon’s voice somehow still manages to keep his usual sardonic edge, despite his chattering teeth. Charles bites down on his lip to prevent his own voice shaking from cold when he answers. “The fact that Alex hasn’t had the training to _direct_ his plasma blasts might mean we all go up in flames if he does, Lew.”

Nixon appears to mull over that while he shuffles closer to the small flame allowable under the canvas that makes up the officers mess in this bone-cold winter wonderland they’ve found themselves in. “Hell,” he says at last “at least we’d be warm first.”

Winters gives a snort from his huddle of clothing. “I’d prefer it if my men didn’t have to deal with shots from their own side.” His lips are somewhere between white and blue as he looks over at Charles. “Is there any chance of McCoy jerry-rigging that directional harness you talked about?”

Charles hates to disappoint this man, who has ended up as Charles’ CO and thus X Company’s CO despite his lack of powers, but even mutant abilities can’t overcome their circumstances at the moment. He reports sadly “No dice on that one, Captain. Sorry.” He hates to say it but he must. “We can’t even supply our medical officers adequately. We’ve got no chance of sourcing experimental electronics equipment, let alone giving Hank the time between bombardments to finish off his designs.”

There’s a long silence, and then Winters says bleakly “Yes. I know.”

They’re all looking over in the direction of the German line now, and for a moment Charles hates his ability; hates the fact that his mind can only go so far before it reaches that diamond-line of protection the Nazis have. If he was merely human then this siege would be so much easier: if he didn’t have the feeling there should be something else he should be doing, some line he should be crossing.

All of a sudden there’s the bright ‘put-put’ of flares up above, and the sergeants’ cry of _‘Stay in your holes! Stay in your holes!’_ rings back to them.

Charles hears the blast of shells and the rattle of machine-gun fire in the near distance, and as he dives out of the officers tent all he can think is _‘Please god, let Erik be alright.’_

*

He’s dug-in and half asleep when Erik worms his way under the canvas into his hole. Charles throws him a chiding look that would be worth more if he wasn’t shaking with cold when he gives it. Erik ignores it completely and tucks the blanket Charles has wrapped around him over both of them before he tugs Charles’ pistol out of his holster and holds it along with his own in between them both. Then he begins to warm up the metal of their weapons till the chill is taken off their hide.

Charles would chastise him for the waste of power if he wasn’t freezing cold.

He waits till he can talk without his teeth clattering before he asks “So you went on patrol with Speirs then?”

Erik snuggles in closer to him under the blanket and just offers a double fist of cigarettes as answer. Despite X-Company’s powers Captain Speirs is still the only one who – through fear or other means – has a full compliment of smokes. Charles plucks one of the duo Erik holds and hides it away for later. Then he rummages with cold-numbed fingers for his lighter.

They’ve passed the cigarette between them half a dozen times before Erik says, tonelessly “Your sister’s going to kill me when I bring you home with a tobacco habit.”

Charles takes the last drag of the butt before he screws it out on the wall of the dug-out and lets it fall. He squirrels his hands in under the covers before he says, carelessly “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

Erik tucks his face into Charles’ neck to conserve the warmth, and he doesn’t say anything about the fact that Raven will be lucky enough if Charles makes it home for her to scold him about his smoking, and that they’ll both be more than lucky if Erik’s there for Charles to defend.

Charles carefully folds their blanket in around them and dips his face down to Erik’s to get one last, achingly gentle kiss before they try to sleep.

Who knows what the morning will bring. So long as, for this night at least, they’re not alone.


End file.
